Arson arrest made in downtown Portland apartment fire that displaced dozens

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A suspect in a large apartment fire in Portland has been arrested and charged with arson and other crimes, according to Portland police.

Up to 100 people were displaced by the fire, which effectively shut down traffic in downtown Portland for a day.

Last Friday, a week after the blaze, investigators began looking for the cause of the fire inside the charred remains of the building.

On Thursday evening, authorities arrested Garrett A. Repp, 30, who was a resident of the May Apartments.

The man who is accused of starting a massive fire at a Portland apartment building earlier this month was being evicted, court documents say.

Repp was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Arson in the First Degree (2 counts), Reckless Endangering Another Person (18 counts), and Criminal Mischief in the First Degree (11 counts).

Repp was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday afternoon. Court documents filed reveal that he was in the process of being evicted from the building when the fire started.

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